Daily servings of encouragement those w/ illness or pain, a program of Rest Ministries

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Do You Have A Lion’s Heart of Boldness?

Does boldness come more easily when you are feeling less pain? Karlton shares.

“Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave” (2 Samuel 17:10)

My dog has the heart of a lion. If someone comes to the door, you would think he is going to tear them limb from limb. In the house he is ferocious. But outside the house, out in the world, he is a great big coward, fearful and skittish of everything around him.

I think I am sometimes like that. When I am in my element, when there is nothing flaring or out of sorts with my health, nothing beyond the usual at least, then faith and boldness is not a problem. But when my affliction is screaming for attention, the pain rising and the illness growing worse, it can take the boldness right out of me.

Faith is easy on sunny days when a gentle breeze is blowing. Yet when the storm arrives and the wind is howling, finding faith can become a great challenge. Illness can rob us of our faith and courage, it can steal the strength right out of us.

We need an inner peace and strength. We need a boldness that comes not from the situation on the outside, but from the Spirit on the inside. We need a holy boldness, and a supernatural courage and strength derived from trusting God.

Perhaps you find your faith waning as your illness is rising. When the pain climbs up, your courage may drop down. We are all human and subject to human reactions to pain and suffering. And if there was no resource from above and from within, it would be hard to survive our suffering.

Karlton’s Dog

Jesus calms our inner storms and changes our outdoor troubles. If my little dog only realized I would never let anything or anyone truly harm him, he might not be so scared of his shadow outside his comfortable lodgings. Similarly, if we only realized no matter the noise and disturbance of our affliction, our Lord is watching over us and will protect us, keeping us safe from any eternal harm.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we are too often beset by fears. Deliver us from fear and strengthen our trust in You. Amen.

About the Author:
Karlton Douglas lives in Ohio with his lovely wife, and his sometimes bold dog. His hope is to grow stronger in his trust and faith in God.

Are you afraid when you are outside of your comfort zone? Have you asked the Lord to deliver you from your fears?

I really like this song by Addison Road, “Run.” It speaks of moving in away from that which hinders us, letting go of the old stuff, and finding purpose in new ways. I pray that God will give you an extra portion of boldness today. You are the child of the King! We can be bold. -Lisa